Tag: Skirmish Sangin

Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 11th through to the 18th of Novemeber.

NEWS

Oh boy is this a big one. The long-awaited French from Empress have been finally released. These guys continue their Ultramodern releases, seeing as they are not wielding the trusty FAMAS but instead various items from H&K’s catalogue, the 416 and the 417 specifically. There is a nice variety of poses in the packs, as well as plenty of grenade launchers.

The release includes four packs of infantrymen, a three-man AT missile pack and a set of heads with NVGs. I quite like this range, both for using as modern French but also for generic 416 armed troops if you swap the heads for US Army or Marine Corp

PURCHASES

None, still working on my backlog. I was very tempted with the new French but I’ve decided to wait until Vapa in the new year. Maybe the feeling of the nations I haven’t finished yet (like the USMC and the Rangers and the British) were weighing on my mind.

HOBBY

I finally assembled something! And then threw some paint on it. The BMP1, which has been sat on my desk for a while, is now assembled and base sprayed. I was planning to get it finished off this week and get the write up done but there have been some personal things that mean I’ll be away from my desk for a bit.

I’m also going to get the Dshk turret for the Humvee finished and then this pair will be ready for my next game.

Although speaking of my desk, here is just a glimpse of it. I managed to get a few new things on bases, including the special edition Texas sheriff that Spectre released. He is only made of resin so fingers crossed he doesn’t get knocked over too often

I’ve also decided that my Christmas project (when I’m back down in Leeds) is going to be getting my Fantasy adventurers painted up. You can see them in the back of the shot and it’s been a while since I finished assembling them. However, I am already thinking about picking up a frame of the new female adventuruers when they are released and getting everything painted up in one go.

Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 5th through to the 11th of November.

NEWS

The Ultracombat Kickstarter continues. At the time of the writing, we’re sitting well funded and with two stretch goals down. Usefully, the team at Radio Dishdash has released this handy comparison image. The image shows the relative height of the new Russian figures in the kickstarter compared to Empress US Infantry, Tiny Terrain Chechen, Radio Dishdash Taliban and Eureka US Marines. This type of image is always useful and I think the new figures look like they should work well alongside most other manufacturers.

Alas, by the time you read this, the smart looking gentleman above will no longer be for sale. However, Spectre have released a special edition figure to celebrate their trip to Texas for Millennium Con. For those of us not at the show, he was on the store from Friday until Sunday.

PURCHASES

Well I just had to grab the Spectre exclusive. I’m not planning on doing anything cartel focused but I love the sculpting on this guy. I can see him ending up as some eccentric figure in Bazistan. I also picked up a few extra RWS systems, including the light setup ready for mounting on technicals.

HOBBY

This week’s hobby time was mostly eaten up by me going away to do one of my interests. Yep, I headed down to York to run around airsofting after around a 6 month break. Despite my problem child of a primary refusing to play ball, I had a really good time. Although that weekend has meant I’m not thinking of playing around with what BB throwing systems I use.

However, there has been a little progress. I’ve started writing the next scenario I’m planning to run down the club. I don’t want to spoil it just yet but it’s going to be a change from the usual Insurgents vs BLUFOR scrap. Expect to see the BMP1 out and about

Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 29th of October through to the 4th of November.

NEWS

Blotz has released a new bit of terrain – a submarine! I do like the fact this is modular kit, letting you set it up as appropriate for your time period with a mix of missle hatches, deck guns and deck pieces. A more modern alternative conning tower would be a neat addition for those people wanting something to deploy their Navy SEALs in style.

The Ultracombat kickstarter rolls on so it’s time to talk about it. First up, the disclaimer. I have worked with Dishdash on the last Skirmish Sangin book but I have not been involved with any work on this ruleset

This first document has me really excited and I am looking forward to having the excuse to get some platoons on the board.

PURCHASES

Nothing

Okay almost nothing – I backed the Ultracombat Kickstarter.

HOBBY

Spectre’s latest order arrived earlier. Although I haven’t managed to assemble most of it, I did have to put together one of the pair of Talon Robots. I really love these guys and getting the first one together was quite fun! The only downside was I managed to snap the barrel off the 240 and had to reglue it. I also managed to add the usual rare earth magnets to hold the turret on

The bulk of the order was, of course, Spectre’s BMP1. And now that I have it in my hand, I am tempted to go back and order a few more. The quality on this is great, lots of detail. Wyrmalla managed to get his writeup done real sharpish and most of his opinions match up with mine. Maybe I need to come out of my break a little early and get mine painted up once I’ve done the clean up on it.

I’m slowly getting back into painting with the Aussies. I managed to actually get to use my Broken Toad brush for the first time. It’s a nice breath of fresh air compared to the junk I’ve been using as a paint applicator for the last few months. Expect more when I actually get the figures finished.

Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 22nd through to the 28th of October.

First up, I hope everyone is playing Red Dead Redemption 2 is enjoying it!

NEWS

After a week of teases and previews, Spectre kicked off the weekend with a pretty major set of releases. First up, they have officially entered the AFV business with the release of a 1:50 scale BMP1. Ideal for a variety of MENA forces and the rebels fighting them, these IFVs are the biggest vehicle Spectre has released yet. They are also making noises that other vehicles are on the way.

The other part of Spectre’s release is all about drones. The Tier 1 and Insurgent ranges now both include a figure ideal for controlling the various remote systems your teams may need, with each pack also including a small quad-rotor drone for close in recon. In addition, the much larger PUMA UAV is perfect for maintaining recon coverage. For all of these flying drones, Spectre is also selling some flying stands to make it easier to get them on the board.

I’ve got to admit though, my favourite part of the new release has to be the MAARS Robot. Having played Medal of Honor Warfighter and rolled through Somalia using one, I think these bots are fantastic. They are also going to be an exciting thing to play around with. Also look at it!

Exciting news from Crooked Dice! As well as their ongoing apocalypse kickstarter, they have also announced they are stocking Akula’s Apocalypse Island Range. For modern wargamers, this excitingly includes the Governor’s Guard which is ideal for any number of African nations. Armed with FALs and a M249, these guys look pretty sharp.

Speaking of African fighters, Militia Miniatures have returned with a whole selection of OPFOR perfect for you to add to your campaign. With squads themed after everything from American Survivalists to Cartel Guards, there are plenty of options for anyone needing some more bad guys.

Finally, Table Top Tactical Simulations have shown off some photos of the painted JLTV that was first talked about alongside their Medium Truck kickstarter. As you can see it’s rather nice.

PURCHASES

As you might have guessed, I’ve grabbed the new Spectre stuff. The drones will be an interesting addition to the game especially the smaller bots. As for the BMP1, it will be a nice ride for the MENA regulars I have.

I may have also picked up a second MAARS bot. Just in case things end up in an Operator vs Operator fight and both sides want to bring a buddy along.

HOBBY

Not much this week – I have started putting some painting on the Aussies I found in amongst the Brits I was planning to paint as a bit of a warm up.

IMPORTANT BLOG NEWS

So things in the real world have been a little busy for the last few months. The project at work is wrapping up (you’ve probably been seeing adverts for the release out and about – being bright red they are hard to miss) but things are in the final stages and I don’t want extra deadlines hanging around my neck.

Don’t get me wrong I really love writing the posts and getting everything together but it takes time. Lots of time. And that time is among the first thing to get cut when I need to do more stuff at work or indulge in other hobbies to relax.

What I’m trying to say is that there will be no Friday posts for the next month or so. Wargaming Week will still be going up every Monday. My plan is to come back in December for a few posts before my Christmas break and maybe sneak in a battle report if I manage to get down to the club.

A post shared by Spectre (@spectreminiatures) on Oct 18, 2018 at 1:56pm PDT

First up, Spectre has shown off the model they will be releasing at Millenium Con in Texas. Appropriate for the area, it looks like a US Law Enforcement Officer complete with. For those of us not making the trip to the Lone Star State, the figure should be available on the web store for a limited time, in the same way that the other event exclusives go up.

Despite not really focusing on the Cops and Robbers side of wargaming, the smart clothing means I might end up using him as a slightly more eccentric US offical.

Spectre also had some new releases this week! This time they are focusing on terrain, both human and physical. For those wanting their civilians to be doing something more than just strolling around or being dodgy, these packs give you two figures on phones and two slightly more irrate fellows. Both of these are going to be great for scenarios, either needing some pacification or arrest. The phones especially could stand in for a dicker.

The physical terrain is the release of the various walls and pieces of cover that we have in several of the press shot for recent ranges. As well as the brick piles, there are several small walls (ideal for scatter) and larger full size walls in brick and concrete. When I started working on my KOD buildings, I’ll definitely be picking up some to build up the detail on them.

Finally some interesting news coming out of Sarissa Precision and SASM. They are teaming up to produce some MDF buildings for modern wargaming and are kicking off with a certain compound in Libya. This is something that I’ve been waiting for Sarissa to do for a while and I’ll be interested in seeing how the range turns out, both with the Libya items and with what comes next.

PURCHASES

For a change from the last few weeks, I actually grabbed something. From the new Spectre releases, I just had to pick up both the civilian packs. Next year I’m planning to run several scenarios as part of a campaign set in Bazistan and more civilians will be exactly what I need to give my players concern.

I’m also in the process of changing my brushes. For the longest time when I first started, I was buying GW’s supplies which, although good, were a little expensive. Being a cheapskate, I found an “8 brushes for £13” pack on Amazon which have been absolute garbage. So for Christmas, I’m going to get a few new brushes. On advice from one of my hobby senseis/former housemate Dreadquill, I’m going to take a look at Broken Toad‘s offerings. I’ve grabbed a size 1 brush just to try them out before pushing the button on a full set.

HOBBY

So the Tier 1 Operators. I had actually already painted most of these guys last year but I wasn’t a massive fan of the look of them. So after a quick wash in the Iso Alcohol and some repainting, these look a lot less garish than the original version. Also, it’s nice to get the get them finished off rather than just still sitting on my desk staring at me.

It’s time. One of the first sets I bought all those years ago when I first started wargaming was the Empress British Infantry. There were also one of the first groups I actually painted up fully and they got lots of use.

However, I was never happy with the MTP, especially after Spectre showed off their methods. So, in a fit of rage, I stripped all 50 figures down, rebased them, corrected a few assembly mistakes and then got ready to repaint them. And then I started needing to do a post every week and so they fell back down the list (right next to the mountain of US Marines).

However, I’ve always wanted to get them back on the table. And so, in some of my break, I’m going to start getting these guys ready again.

PURCHASES

Nothing!

HOBBY

So as you may guess, this week was really about just pushing the SWAT guys over the finish line. I’m still super busy with work (and my free time currently being used on other things) so honestly, the whole hobby thing has slowed down. Next on my desk is either going to be the buildings I’ve worked on or possibly the Tier 1 Operators that are partially painted.

For people looking for more cool operators to have on their tabletop, Spectre is going to be releasing a set of figures styled after Ember team from the latest series of BPRE. I do love the style on the operators, laden with all the latest kit while still looking different from other operators currently available. This range has been tentatively slated for a Black Friday release and I will be picking up a set as soon as they come out.

The other part is that Echelon is working on a PvE board game, letting players take control of a small team of door kickers in non-permissive environments. In other words, it sounds a bit like a dungeon crawl in a modern day, something that sounds perfect for when you want to get your game time in without having to roll the full board out. Spectre is again helping, working on the miniatures and assisting to make the rules fast paced and flowing well.

In other words, it’s an exciting time!

Finally, 4Ground are previewing some 28mm ruined African terrain. There are only a few images for now but it sounds like they are working on two styles, the city ruins you see here and ones closer to their existing African terrain. Although designed for North Africa in WW2, I can see plenty of use for them in the MENA area of the world, ideal for creating some real urban hell holes for your insurgents to dig in to.

PURCHASES

Nothing! I’ve been too busy to buy anything!

HOBBY

Honestly, not very much. This week has been incredibly busy at work so apart from throwing some textured spray onto the last of Sarissa North Africa buildings, I haven’t had a chance to sit at a desk and get the paints out. Fingers crossed I’ll have something ready for the next Wargaming Week.

NEWS

Tiny Terrain’s next Kickstarter is rumbling closer (in fact it should be up later today). As part of this, the two main squads of new figures have been previewed. First up, we have the Russians. This is a nice set of guys, packed full of AKs but with an SVD, PKM and some disposable RPGs for support weapons.

The other preview is for the OPFOR, the Chechens. These guys are armed similarly to their Russian oppositions but clad in a very different style. For example, I think it would probably be frowned upon for the standard Russian trooper to bring a sword into battle.

The new release is seven figures. Each is on the store individually and, if you’re fighting other cartels or law enforcement south of the border, you are going to want these guys. Each figure is packed full of character (from the mad man with his dual MAC-10s to the soldato, bare chest exposed while holding his AUG one handed) and there is also a useful range of weapons. There are now two LMGs in the cartel range, as well as an AA12, a multiple grenade launcher and even one cartel member with a M82 – useful when your rival is rolling around in an armoured SUV

PURCHASES

Actually, nothing. I’ve still got a lot of things I want to tidy up and, although I really like the look of the new Cartel fighters, I want to work out the best way to include them in my MENA/African setting. I am also conscious of how many figures I have sat waiting to be painted.

Okay, well almost nothing. I finally picked up the last volume of Black Powder Red Earth Yemen. I really like the series, although it has some flaws, and the Yemen run is the best so far. It has much more of a story to it rather than just operators thwacking people so it’s going to be exciting to see how the story wraps up.

HOBBY

The main hobby time this week was assembling the turrets all ready for Friday’s post. In fact, there were too many turrets (and not enough hobby time) so the turret gunners were put to one side to be saved for another post. You’ll be seeing those guys in a few weeks.

The building of B-Town continues as I keep working my way through my collection. This weekend saw it progress a bit more, with more MDF covered in textured paint and a few more air conditioning units on walls.

I also decided to get some figures that have been sat on my workbench finished off. Gazing around at the options, and thinking of my next game, I decided to grab the Spectre SWAT team and broke out the paints. I’ll talk more about them in the post but the plan is to paint them up using the PMC painting scheme. More details in Friday’s post